Striving for a Smile
by Epicocity
Summary: Ancienverse. Oneshot. Sometimes, all that mattered was seeing his smile, even if it meant she was stuck in traction. Because his smile could mean the entire world. And because it helped remind her of her power to bring smiles to others. Planning a party for him, to see the smile on his and others' faces...she knew that was good enough. And she strove for it. Amourshipping.


**Oh, hey there. Yep, my third oneshot in as many weeks…are you really that surprised? I am….totally…it's not like I wrote all of these…All right, I'll dispense with the sarcasm and joking. Yes, this is the third** _ **and final**_ **oneshot for now until…oh, a very long time. Hopefully you've read the previous two oneshots, but this one is important in particular for next week's dramatic posting. Why? Because this story is essentially a prologue to that first chapter. Please do enjoy!**

 **Author: Epicocity**

 **Rating: T for slight innuendo**

 **Pairings: Amourshipping, RoyalDoctorShipping (teasing), OrangeRibbonShipping**

 **DISCLAIMER: No, I don't. Cut it out. God, I say this way too often, don't I?**

* * *

 **Striving for a Smile**

An Ancienverse Pokémon Fanfiction

Serena felt positively ashamed, she realized. If anyone knew her well enough, they would have guessed at numerous reasons why the object in her hands was making her feel that way. Perhaps they would have guessed that it was because she was spending her day cleaning the Ketchum household instead of training. Or maybe it was that she was clutching something of a very personal nature to her boyfriend. It could have even been something completely insane.

But to Serena, it was more real than anything: she hadn't known her own boyfriend's birthday.

Now she did.

And it was in a week.

"What's that, Serena?" Ash's voice jerked her out of her process of staring into space. She quickly looked to the screen containing her boyfriend's birthday on what seemed to be his very first Pokédex, before she cleared it and snapped it shut, turning around to him and holding it out. "Wow, what a blast from the past!"

"I found it inside one of your drawers with some old stamp sheets that looked like they'd all been used," she noted, taking her rag over to Ash's cabinet to wipe it down. The two of them had been hard at work cleaning Ash's room all day while Bonnie and his mother cleaned other areas and Clemont was fixing up some of the appliances carefully. It had been six months since they'd arrived in Kanto to spend time together, relaxing after the things they'd been through in Kalos. In some sense, they'd slipped into a sense of the mundane, doing daily tasks and daily training on their way through life. Sometimes they'd gone out of town on day trips or adventures, but for the most part they'd been put in traction.

Or…that was how Serena felt. Yet this little date inside her boyfriend's old Pokédex felt like it was changing that somehow, not that she could explain it.

"Remember this, Pikachu?" Ash exclaimed, showing the device off to his partner, resting lazily on the bed. Pikachu perked up at the mention of it and seemed to revel in the joy of seeing it once more. "Makes me think of the beginning of my journey…Me and Pikachu, Misty, Brock on the road together…Good times, even if I still feel the bruises from where Misty hit me."

Serena didn't feel that was very nice, considering she still felt bad about even hitting him with snowballs (even if he thoroughly deserved it at the time). Still, she was glad to have brought even the slightest memory of a smile to his face. Keeping a smile on all of their faces had been incredibly difficult these past months, only those who had actually been there noticing it or seeing why that was the case. It made Serena feel further ashamed.

"I bet Professor Oak would love to see this, huh?" Ash said. He leaned over Serena, pressing his body heat up against hers to grab his hat. She flushed a bit; he'd gotten much more used to holding her closely whether it was in public or when they went to sleep at night (assuming that Clemont wasn't in the room with them, because that would've been weird). Still didn't stop her from flushing a bright red hue. "You don't mind, do you, Serena?"

"Not at all," she told him, flashing him a brilliant smile that nevertheless hid the shame underneath. She hated herself for it, plastering the fake smile on top. Ash leaned over to kiss her on the cheek (another thing he was more comfortable with) and then he and Pikachu were dashing out of the room. Heaving a sigh when he was gone, Serena finished wiping down the cabinet until she heard the sound of footsteps.

"Why, Serena, that dresser looks almost as good as new, the number of times you seem to be wiping it down," chuckled Delia's voice. Serena looked up and blinked. She hadn't even realized the repetitiveness of her actions.

"S-Sorry," she apologized to her. Delia looked at her for a moment, making Serena feel just a little naked. Not that she'd be surprised if Delia didn't know _everything_ that went on in her house, not from the way Bonnie liked to blather on, regardless of how ignorant Clemont was.

"Something on your mind?" the mother of her boyfriend asked, walking in and sitting down upon Ash's bed. She then patted it, welcoming her. Serena breathed in, glad that she could have such a person to talk to as her boyfriend's mother. She took the seat and gazed up into the woman's chocolate-amber eyes. "Feel free to tell me anything, Serena. Goodness knows Bonnie does…"

"It's nothing much, just…" Serena struggled to find the words to say. Admitting you didn't know your boyfriend's birthday to his mother seemed like such a scary thing. Would she think she was unworthy of her son? Delia had never given off the impression, but the thought was always there in the back of Serena's mind. "I found Ash's old Pokédex today."

"Oh, he must've been thrilled," Delia said, clapping her hands together gaily. However, she also quickly noticed Serena's expression. "I take it you're not?"

"Well…I…I found out his birthday," she squeaked out. Put her before life-threatening situations and Serena would excel; same for an entire audience. But before Ash's mother, she felt like a meek little girl. "And I didn't realize it was so close and I feel like I'm a horrible girlfriend for not knowing!"

"Oh, Serena, dear, there's no reason to fret," Delia said, cutting off the teenager's tirade against herself. She quickly wrapped her arms around her and pulled Serena to her nicely. "Ash rarely mentions his birthday to anyone, and nor do I. Half the time I tend to just pretend he's ten-years old because it saves me the hassle of having to find him where he is when that time rolls around."

"I know, but…" Serena continued to frown, letting the veneer of her smile slip off for just a single moment as Delia embraced her. Despite the mother's soothing words, it did nothing to assuage her shame and guilt over it all. She gripped a little at Delia's shirt, and let that fill her mind with a conviction and promise, a new idea coming into her brain, wiping away at the negative feelings. "I want to do something for it."

"Celebrate his birthday?" his mother asked. Serena drew back and nodded, running a hand through her hair. Ash's mother watched her a moment before smiling.

"Well, that'd be a very lovely idea. What do you have in mind?"

Serena hadn't thought that far ahead; she'd just known of her own convictions. Yet, at hearing his mother's words, inspiration began to dwell inside of her, a single clear thought rising to the surface. There was one thing that made Ash happier than anything (well, there were actually a few, but outside of his Pokémon, she had decided on one). Knowing that, Serena smiled at Delia. "I think I'd like to bring all of Ash's old friends, and some of the other people we know…that we fought alongside, and have them all celebrate with him and his Pokémon."

"That sounds like very nice idea. It would require quite the preparations in so short a time," the mother responded. She gazed upwards wistfully, as though regarding the ceiling. Eventually though, she looked down and smiled at Serena. "You leave the food preparations and arrangements to hold the party with Professor Oak to me."

"You'll help me?" Serena asked, utterly surprised that her sudden idea had been accepted just like that.

"Of course," she laughed out in response. "My son's birthday is not something he's often around to celebrate, and with his girlfriend planning it, I can't just leave you out to dry." She sounded far too giddy about being able to say her son had a girlfriend (something Serena was used to by this point).

"Well, thank you!" Serena said, her heart and mind being gripped with this sudden desire to see it all done. Instantly, she began checking off the things she'd need to do: presents, contacting the others, keeping it a secret from Ash. It was going to be quite the bit of work, and requiring her to be constantly active. The first step was making sure that everyone could be there. "I'll get together a list of guests and get back to you as soon as possible so we know just how many people to cook and bake for."

"That sounds like a plan to me," Delia said. Serena followed the woman out of Ash's room and down the stairs towards the kitchen, where it seemed that Clemont was working on the microwave. Mimey was watching him warily (a wise policy wherever Clemont and inventions were involved). "How's that microwave coming, Clemont?"

"Just putting it back together now," the inventor insisted, wiping at his brow. "Bonnie left with Ash a couple minutes ago to go to the lab. I think she enjoys playing with all of his Pokémon."

"I wouldn't be surprised," came the giggle from Serena's mouth. Bonnie was always super excited to play with any cute Pokémon; she seemed to most adore Ash's Snivy and Bulbasaur, much to the raven-haired trainer's surprise, and his Oshawott's detriment. "Anyway, Clemont, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" the boy asked, snapping the cover of the microwave back and placing it into its original position. Mimey tentatively reached forward to see if it would work. It did, and without exploding, no less. As that happened, Mrs. Ketchum pulled out numerous cookbooks and placed them on the table, clearly ready to find the perfect cake for her son.

"I need to go to the IRCS," she said firmly. Clemont placed his tools away and looked to her with confusion. "Ash's birthday is in a week and I want to organize a party for him. But for that, I need-"

"We'll need to contact his old friends?" Clemont questioned. Serena nodded her head, grateful that he understood her intentions. Hitching his backpack (which happened to be the receptacle for his tools), he smiled at her. "I get where you're coming from. Count me in."

"Thanks, Clemont," she breathed out. Suddenly, she found herself and the inventor gripped up into a sudden hug by Ash's mother. On the table, a Pikachu shaped cake appeared to be what she had flipped to, and just from a brief perusal of the ingredients, she could tell Ash and all his Pokémon (not to mention the ever gluttonous and interfering Chespin) would love it. "But we can't let Ash know!"

"Of-of course not!"

"I'm so glad that Ash has such good people around him. I'm sure the others will be just as thrilled to help out and come for the party," Mrs. Ketchum insisted before finally letting go of the two teens to allow them free to go about their works.

And work it was. While Clemont had little that he had to do before the following day, beyond contacting the people at the IRCS to be sure they would receive them the next day, he also had a job of keeping things silent from Bonnie. This was a task easier said than done when Serena and Clemont holed up with Mrs. Ketchum in the latter's room after dinner, planning the birthday party conspiratorially.

"Clemont…what are you doing in there?" she yelled through the door, late into the evening after Serena had managed to make an entire itinerary. Ignoring the girl, she looked at the entire list, which consisted of simple mingling, some dancing and the usual processes of cake and presents. Next to it was another list of people, probably close to fifty in number. They would definitely be busy. Clemont opened the door.

"Just needed to fix a bunch of clocks, that's all," Clemont chuckled out nervously. Bonnie peered at him suspiciously, and Serena knew the very shrewd girl could put it together in no time if she didn't intervene.

"Sorry, Bonnie," Serena apologized, waving the issue off softly. "There were some old magazines we found in here when cleaning earlier today and Ash's mom thought me and Clemont would be interested. We distracted him during his work."

"Well, you could have invited me…" the girl pouted, but seemed to accept the explanation. Serena laughed gaily to divert the suspicions, grabbing onto Bonnie and wheeling her out without another word. As soon as the two girls got back to their room, Serena instantly launched into their usual game of Pokémon Impressions to keep her going until Bonnie finally nodded off. Serena fell asleep soon after.

However, unlike her younger companion, Serena was up before even the crack of dawn, alongside Clemont and Mrs. Ketchum. The latter had prepared them a light snack for the road ahead and the duo was out the door without a peep, traipsing across the grass to a blurry-eyed Professor Oak, still wearing a nightcap.

"Ah, yes, Delia told me you'd be by…" he yawned out. The two teens thanked the older man for his help and they slunk off to the backyard and up to a dozing Charizard, who looked like he was having the time of his life in his dreams.

"Charizard?" Serena uttered softly. Ash's loyal Pokémon appeared to have heard her, as he opened an eye and snorted a little bit of flame in greeting. He'd grown quite used to her over the months, and Braixen had even practiced a little with him and Infernape when it came to fire. "I need your help, okay? And this time, _we're_ keeping it a secret from _Ash_."

She added a little wink at the end, as if sharing a joke with him regarding the occurrences on Valentine's Day. He stood up, snorting another round of flames and keeping himself from roaring loudly. Taking that as his assent, Serena led Clemont in boarding Charizard and taking to the skies. The inventor seemed almost stricken by fear at the wind whipping into him, but the Performer had grown used to it. She quickly leaned down and told the Flame Pokémon where to go, the lot of them shooting off without another moment's notice.

It was a quick trip on the fast flier, one spent reviewing all of the people they'd be contacting. Some of them were very easy to remember their location, such as Aria and Diantha. Sawyer was with Steven Stone, apparently, while Miette (to her chagrin) appeared to be competing in a Performance alongside Shauna. Serena grimaced at the thought of being nowhere near the performing season, wondering if, perhaps, she should have headed back to Kalos already.

 _If you had, you wouldn't be able to do this, though_. That thought stopped her from feeling too upset about things, though she knew she had to consider the future sooner than later. The time for recovery had ended; things had to return to normal now. Serena was just resolved that it wouldn't mean leaving Ash quite yet. She wanted to see him smile even more, especially in the wake of loss, no matter how long ago it had been.

After an hour or two of flying, the duo and Charizard finally landed outside of the Kanto Power Plant, a representative of what seemed to be the League waiting out front for them. He had his hands clasped together sharply. "Mr. Clemont, Miss Serena, glad you made it safely. Everything is working properly and ready when you are."

"Thanks," Clemont said, shaking the man's hand before leading them inside with authority. It was rare to see Clemont so confident, but she certainly liked seeing it; she had a thought that he'd been feeling a little useless lately with all the little odd jobs around the house. Smiling once again, Serena followed him to the massive communications construct. It looked so much sleeker than the one she remembered in Kalos, though considering they had more than a few weeks to build this one, there was no wonder as to why. Clemont quickly checked it over, as though pleased with his work. "All right, Serena, we're ready anytime you are."

"Thanks," Serena said. She handed over the list to her friend of all the different locations, the most predominant ones being those of his old traveling companions, or at least the ones she could find. The blond took it and began looking it over carefully, inputting all the coordinates before pressing the button to connect the systems in a link. Serena waited, and then Gary's face appeared on the screen. "Gary!"

"Serena, Clemont, fancy seeing you guys," the brunet researcher commented. He appeared to have some kind of noodles in his mouth, which he promptly slurped down. "How've you been?"

"We've been good," Clemont answered.

"I'm good, too!" Dawn's chipper voice called from another screen. Serena quickly looked to the others and noticed that more of Ash's friends had showed up on screen, including May and Brock. The last screen, a slightly larger one, was taken up by a rather large and boisterous group (one that Clemont had clearly decided to contact with the rest).

"So are we! I miss you, Serena! We haven't seen each other since our visit in Cerulean City!" Shauna's voice called while she fought for screen time with Tierno, Trevor and Miette. Serena raised her hand in a wave.

"Good to see you, Serena! Lookin' as fine as ever! Ash is a lucky guy," Tierno called.

"He certainly is…" Brock grumbled out. Serena laughed, noticing as the doctor tried to change the subject rapidly. "But enough about that. You called us for a reason, yeah?"

"Let me guess, Ashy-boy's birthday?" Gary asked. Serena raised an eyebrow, but also realized that it was obvious only Gary out of everyone would know the reason for which she called. She nodded her head.

"Yes," was the simple response. "I'd like everyone who can, to come to Ash's birthday party next week!"

"Look who's being a good girlfriend," teased Miette, a sly smirk across her face. Just like always, Serena's face heated up in embarrassment. No matter how comfortable she was in her relationship, there was no one like Miette to make her feel flushed about the whole thing. "I'll be there. You're inviting Sawyer, too, right?"

"Did someone say Ash?" a voice suddenly butted in across their feed. Trevor looked back and Serena watched in surprise as Tierno was shoved aside for someone else to appear on the screen. He looked unfamiliar, his green hair and bowtie standing out predominantly amongst his features. "Ash Ketchum?"

"Er…yes…" Clemont was the one to say, backing away from the screen like the exuberant man was going to come straight through and grab him. "And…you are?"

"Cilan, that you?" Dawn asked. She appeared to be craning her neck, as if she could see him. Serena wasn't sure if she could, but the fact that she knew the man now poking at the screen made Serena feel a little better. That was when she realized the name Cilan was on the list.

"Oh, you're one of Ash's friends! Cilan from Striaton City in Unova!" she gasped out, clapping her hands together in happy recognition.

"You've heard of me? !" Cilan said, looking almost flattered. "This is a most pleasant blend of sugars and spices, producing a tangy masterpiece that is both full bodied and-"

"Speaking of foods," May called out, cutting across the green-haired man, "will there be cake at this party?"

"Of course," Serena laughed out. May pumped a fist, and Serena figured that ensured she would be there. Meanwhile, Miette and Shauna were pushing Cilan out of the picture to get back to the conversation. Now that she had everyone's attentions, Serena decided to get into the nitty-gritty of it. Mostly, it consisted of telling them the time and place to be there for the party, with Dawn and Brock agreeing to come a little earlier.

"It won't be too weird if a few of us arrive earlier than normal," Brock commented. Dawn apparently agreed with this notion.

"Great, then I can look forward to all of you being there? And yourself, Cilan?"

"You know _I'll_ be there…Mrs. Ketchum's cake…" May said, practically drooling as her line went dead. Gary just shook his head and said he'd be arriving there early to visit his grandfather as well, mentioning something about news to share.

"Yes, I can imagine how sweet and sugary it must taste. No doubt Iris would like to come as well. I think I'll whip up the fragrance of our friendship once more to-"

"Yeah, we'll be there," Miette cut the connoisseur off. "Don't get too frisky in the meantime."

" _Miette…_ " Serena said. The girl winked at her, and before Serena could throw any comment about Sawyer back, their entire group had closed off. Sighing, Serena turned to Brock and Dawn, setting the date for their arrival.

"And I'll help drag Misty out of her gym," the doctor said. Serena gave a start, realizing that though they had called the Cerulean City Gym, no one that lived there had answered at all. Realizing that the doctor's help would be most appreciated, she thanked him. "As long as I get some alone time with lovely Aria. I think we really hit it off. She even gave me a dance."

"I'll see what I can do," Serena laughed out. Dawn just rolled her eyes and told the rest of them to take care of themselves until their arrival. Sharing the same sentiments, the call soon ended. Serena then breathed in; one batch down, many to go. She steeled herself with a smile and waited for the next group of faces to appear on the screens.

* * *

Despite the ease of contacting people and getting a rough estimate for who all would be coming to the party, it made the succeeding days no less hectic. Some had unfortunately declined the opportunity to pay a visit such as Meyer (too busy with the Gym), Sycamore (too busy with research, though he did tell Alain and Mairin to go) and the entirety of Team Nova (too busy running their school). It made Serena feel almost not busy, if not for the fact she was running around wildly. The only thing the lack of these visitors caused was less to cook and bake for, but it seemed more like a drop in the bucket, all things considered. Serena was really just glad she had managed to actually invite Diantha, of all people. Naturally, Korrina was on the list, too, Clemont stammering over himself at the prospect of seeing her again in person after so long. That made Serena laugh, and Bonnie wonder why Clemont had returned home that day (not knowing where he had gone) with a face so red, it rivaled Serena's in her worst moments.

"Everything's set, then?" Delia asked, the night before Dawn and Brock were set to arrive. Ash was in the living room with Pikachu, playing some kind of game with the others. He was loud enough that he didn't hear what was going on.

"It is," Serena told her as she perused the official cake recipe they had picked out. "Brock will be here in the morning and we'll be going to Cerulean City to pick up…Misty, is it? Then Dawn will be here in the afternoon. Just have to keep Ash distracted until the evening. The others have all RSVP'd that they'd be coming the morning of the party."

" _That_ will be the hardest to keep Ash distracted," Delia admitted. Serena couldn't argue with that; her boyfriend wasn't always the best at subtle clues, but even he could figure out when a party was being planned right underneath his nose. "In the meantime, make sure you get some rest. It would do you no good to wear yourself out."

"Oh…all right," Serena responded, nodding her head. She did feel a little heavy, if she were honest with herself. Part of it was keeping the smile up (though, admittedly, that wasn't so hard), but the other part was her simply wondering if all of it would be good enough. If her smile was enough for his. If _she_ was good enough.

"Hey, Serena, come join us!" Ash's voice called to her. Deciding to shake off the yoke of whatever was on her mind, Serena moved to join Ash. She let the game they all played distract her mind from the party two days from then, allowing her to get some sleep before the early morning wakeup.

"You look tired, Serena," Bonnie commented that next morning at breakfast. Serena just smiled at her, though it felt rather forced, even to her. Ash sat across from her, watching her worriedly, but she waved the issue off. The doorbell then rang.

"I'll get it!" Ash called. He and Pikachu quickly wolfed down their pancakes before standing, his fingers brushing on Serena's shoulder in comfort. She breathed lightly at that; he was always helping her forward. Smiling once more, her load just a little lighter, Serena stood. She wiped at the edge of her mouth and decided to go greet the only one that could obviously be at the door. "Brock! I didn't expect you here!"

"How're you doing, Ash?" the older boy asked, taking Ash into a manly hug while he dropped his pack by the door. Serena saw that a car was outside, no doubt one he borrowed from a Pokémon Center.

"What are you doing here?" her boyfriend asked of Brock.

"Is it a crime to take some vacation time with my best friend?" Brock asked him, winking. The answer seemed to be good enough for Ash, who seemed to be positively giddy about Brock actually spending time in Pallet Town. She could only hope he'd react the same way tomorrow. "Well, I mean, vacation _technically_ starts tomorrow, and it's only for a day or so. I have to run an errand to a couple Pokémon Centers today, first."

"Do you mind if I join you?" Serena asked, stepping forward and attempting to not sound suspicious at all. Brock nodded as Ash flicked his gaze between the two of them. His eyes narrowed just a little, causing Serena to gulp (thankfully not visibly). "I haven't spent much time with just Brock before, besides that fourth day of the Kalos Team Tournament."

"That, and Serena's promised to help me get a good in with Aria," Brock indicated, elbowing Ash a little bit as he wagged his eyebrows. "That woman can light up my heart like none other. Her beauty. Her grace. Her curves. Such beauty can only be referred to as royal-"

"Croagunk!" Brock's body went rigid and he collapsed onto both Ash and Serena. From the kitchen, it sounded like Bonnie was laughing wildly. After a few seconds, Brock straightened up as good as new, patting off his shirt.

"Thanks for that, Croagunk," he said seriously, almost like he was actually grateful for the Poison Jab up his nether regions. "But be a little more careful; when Aria and I are madly in love, I don't think she'll permit you to do that."

"Okay, have fun," Ash laughed out, clearly trying to change the subject as his best friend returned Croagunk. The doctor grinned at him and indicated for Serena to follow him out the door. Leaving a peck on her boyfriend's cheek, Serena followed Brock out to the car, slipping into the passenger's seat. With a wave to those gathered at the front door, the car zoomed off, leaving the two alone.

"Is there anything I should know about Misty?" Serena decided to ask nervously. Other than the one named Iris (who Ash almost flinched at when mentioned, like recalling a memory or catchphrase), Misty appeared to be the only one she had yet to meet.

"She's…temperamental," Brock chuckled out. "I don't think you'll have a problem, though. I've talked with her once or twice since meeting you in Kalos so she knows who you are. And I don't think anyone can get on her nerves the way Ash does."

"O…kay…" Serena said. However, she still felt a little nervous, the feeling exhibiting itself through her silence on the car ride. After many hours of staring out the window, the skyscrapers and general skyline of Cerulean City approached, distracting Serena until Brock pulled up in front of the Gym. "She's a Gym Leader, right? Like Clemont?"

"That's right," Brock noted, leaping out deftly. He took the lead over Serena to head for the door. After waiting a moment, the doors slid open and they walked in. Serena's eyes practically bugged out: they were in an aquarium! "Hmm, seems like her sisters aren't here today…"

"She has sisters?" Brock nodded, causing Serena to frown just a bit. There was one chance at commonality, gone. _Don't give up until the very end._ She smiled and followed after until emerging out to what seemed like a large pool, two Pokémon in the middle of the field.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" called a feminine voice. A loud roar succeeded and Serena watched as the large Pokémon in the middle of the pool rose from it and sent a powerful torrent of water at a Tangela floating on one of the pads. It flew back and landed near the trainer's, a younger girl's, feet. The referee on the other side of the pool called the match. Gyarados appeared to swim over to its trainer. Serena watched her over, moving aside as the girl who had been challenger ran past, clutching her Tangela. "You did a nice job, Gyarados. I bet we could give even Ash a run for his money these days."

"I don't know if I'd say that until you've seen his Greninja in action, Misty," Brock's voice called out. Serena gave a start, finally realizing that the girl in front of her was, in fact, the tomboyish Gym Leader she'd heard about. Dressed in pale yellow clothing, with her orange hair tied into a side ponytail, she looked nothing like what Serena had envisioned, except for the smile she was giving to her old friend.

"Brock! I was wondering when you were going to show up!" she said, grinning at him as she returned Gyarados. "I was starting to think I'd have time for another couple battles."

"If you haven't scared off all the challengers yet."

"Hey!" Misty snapped, slapping him on the back of his head. "And don't think I missed that crack about me being weaker than Ash, either."

"Come on, Misty, you know he made the finals of the Kalos League, right?" Brock chuckled out, rubbing at the spot Misty had hit. "The way I hear it, it was a real nail biter of a final battle."

"It was," Serena spoke without thinking. Misty turned to her, eyes blinking curiously. "Oh, sorry, I'm, uh-"

"Serena, I'd presume?" Misty asked, an eyebrow raised now. Serena huffed out a breath and smiled, offering her hand to the girl. Misty's eyebrow lowered and she smiled. If Serena was truthful, she'd think it seemed a little wry in nature, but the handshake was genuine enough. "Then…it's true, is it?"

"What is?" Serena asked. Misty let go of her hand and scrutinized her carefully. For a moment, Serena was certain she wouldn't be accepted by the ginger looking her over. Brock backed away, like he didn't want to deal with this. That was, until Misty smiled brightly.

"You're Ash's…girlfriend?" she asked finally with the smile.

"Oh. Yes." It seemed like there was some awkwardness there, making Serena wonder if perhaps Misty and Ash had ever been a thing, or close to one. Misty sighed, throwing a hand back to tousle her hair.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing _someone_ got through to him," she called out. Serena's smile faltered for a second, hardly perceptible to anyone that didn't know her well. Had Misty had feelings for the boy? The girl answered Serena's question moments later. "Ah, well, that's _way_ in the past now."

"Sorry, Misty, but I don't think Ash would go for someone so violent. He'd want someone that exudes grace like the beautiful Aria! Speaking of, Serena you promi-"

"Okay, Casanova, no more words out of you!" Misty snapped, quickly grabbing violently at Brock's ear. The older boy yelped as Misty looked back to Serena, smiling warmly. "Brock doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to love, he's that delusional."

"Misty, stop pulling so hard!" Brock complained, but the girl didn't let go as she pulled closer to Serena.

"I'm very happy that Ash has a girlfriend like you," Misty said, putting an arm around Serena, as if welcoming her. That's when Serena remembered Dawn's words around the time they'd met. How almost every girl that Ash had traveled with had developed a crush on the raven-haired trainer. It was obvious now, however, that Misty had long since gotten over hers. "I mean, planning a huge reunion birthday party like this is no small feat. Plus, it gives me the chance to put Brock's challenge to the test and see who's really better."

"I'd have to agree with Brock, then. Greninja is really something else," Serena said, breathing a little easier. She felt accepted now, fully and completely.

"Well, why don't we have a little girl chat about his Greninja on the way to Pallet, then," Misty told her with a wink.

Serena heartily agreed with that and Misty finally let go of Brock's ear to allow the boy the chance to start the car when they got outside. To Serena's surprise, on their ride back, Misty actually proved to be an amicable person save for the times she seemed to hit Brock for making an inane comment, usually about Aria. It came as a definite relief to Serena, allowing her smile to come easier, more so when they arrived at the airport in Viridian City.

"Hey, all!" Dawn greeted them outside the entrance. She was stowing a ticket away, clearly showing the round trip for a couple days from today. Quickly offering a hug to Serena, she introduced herself to Misty and the three girls were piled into the back on their way back to Pallet Town. The Performer had to wonder just what Ash's reaction would be to the two of them, much less the next day with everyone else gathered.

She got her answer soon enough.

"Misty? Dawn!" Ash called in surprise the second they stepped inside the foyer. He met his hands with Dawn in a high five while he and Misty stood there awkwardly, clearly not sure how to act with one another. Misty was the one that decided to break the ice.

"So, I heard you have a pretty strong Water type," she spoke with a smirk and folding of her arms. "Care to put it to the test against mine?"

"You're on! No way your puny Gyarados could stand against Greninja, right Pikachu?" Ash asked. Pikachu apparently seemed noncommittal to that one, causing some frustration from Ash. Regardless, the two old friends and Brock instantly dashed out of the house, Bonnie trailing after them. Even Clemont puffed up behind them, wanting to see another Gym Leader in action.

"Guess that leaves us to make the cake, huh?" Dawn said. She and Serena looked at each other with a grin and instantly got to their frantic work. With the afternoon meaning the house was empty and Clemont having convinced the group to take dinner at Professor Oak's lab, Delia, Serena and Dawn worked on the cake, baking it to what they thought was perfection. Serena also spent the time checking over the guest list, reconfirming everyone that would be coming along with their presents, neatly tucked away in a closet. Even Serena's was there, though she felt it really wasn't much of a present. Beyond that, Serena and Dawn only had a few moments to flick through some magazines for fashion, the Sinnoh native pointing out a rather famous tropical line of clothing that caught both of their eyes.

Finally, as the evening faded to night and the others all returned, flush from what appeared to be multiple battles between Ash and the Gym Leaders, Serena felt her body relax, curled up against Ash's on the couch.

"Hey, Serena, has there been something on your mind lately?" her boyfriend asked. She tensed a little, but didn't answer. At least, not right away. "You just seem like you've been thinking of something."

"Ash, do…do I make you happy?" she asked.

"Of course you do," he answered, like it was completely obvious. Serena sat up, staring right into his eyes.

"So, I make you smile?" He nodded instead of speaking. "I just…I want to bring smiles to everyone, but sometimes I wonder how I can do that. Am I good enough to be able to?"

"You definitely are!" Ash protested. He grabbed her tightly, putting her face against his muscular chest. "I know you can succeed at anything you try, because you're Serena. You can bring a smile to anyone, even those with pain so deep it seems like they'll never be happy again. That's why I know you can."

"Mm," Serena vocalized, muffled against his chest. It made her feel a little lighter, a little stronger. She still had the ability to bring smiles. _But I can't do it for_ everyone _if I just stay here._ The nagging voice tickled at her brain, but she stretched her smile wider, pushing it far away. "Ash, you mind if we spend the morning together tomorrow? Just the two of us?"

"Sure thing," Ash said, yawning loudly. Pikachu emulated him, stretched out across the coffee table. Feeling positive of that, Serena fell asleep in his arms, thinking of the next day and the adventure it would bring, her mind constantly striving for all those smiles she could make shine. For now, though, just his smile was good enough.

 _Fín_

* * *

 **Author's Note: As said above, this was a bit of a prologue to the story that is to come. While a lot of it was building up the events of the first chapter in** _ **Love in the Time of Tropics**_ **, it was also establishing Serena. She still wants to bring smiles to everyone and become Kalos Queen to do that, as well, even if she's missing out on the performance season. But, naturally, she's struggling with** _ **how**_ **to do that. Well, it's part of some character development I'm giving her in the future, and I can't say much more. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the way this was all set up with the characters and enjoyed it in its own way.**

 **Most importantly, though…next week, March 7** **th** **, it all begins! That's right! The long awaited** _ **Love in the Time of Tropics**_ **will finally begin with its first chapter! I've been building this up for some time, and I hope you're all ready for it. To prepare yourself in the meantime of waiting, be sure to check out my Twitter ( EpicocityFanfic) for some Preview Quotes to feel fully tantalized. But until then, I'm asking you to Review and, as always, now and forever,**

 **Dare to Be Silly,**

 **Epicocity**


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